Roadies will follow the day-to-day life of a successful rock tour as seen through the eyes of the unsung background players — the crew members who help get the show on the road.

Crowe will write and direct the hour-long pilot, and J.J. Abrams (Lost) and Winnie Holzman (My So-Called Life) will executive-produce. If the project is picked up to series, episodes will be 30 minutes long, and Holzman will serve as showrunner.

"Cameron Crowe is one of my all-time movie heroes," Showtime Networks President David Nevins said in a statement. "Winnie Holzman created and wrote one of my favorite TV shows ever. J.J., among many other things, is a consummate television producer. Best of all: the comedy script they've come up with together is brilliant, original and full of life."

Added Crowe: "I love that we're finally doing Roadies. J.J. and I have been talking about it for some time. We're fans of crews, those workers up on the rigging towers, or walking feverishly with eight phones on their belt. Those quietly devoted people live huge lives, they're often the real keepers of the flame. So happy to also be telling these stories with Showtime, and also with one of my very favorite writer-producers ever, Winnie Holzman. Let's get this show on the road!"

Roadies is Crowe's first TV project; he's also known for directing the films Jerry Maguire and Vanilla Sky. He most recently wrote and directed a still-untitled film starring Emma Stone, Bradley Cooper, Rachel McAdams and John Krasinski that is slated to hit theaters on Christmas Day.